A shocking murder.
A ship full of suspects.
On a luxury cruise from Southampton to New York, the annual gathering of the mysterious Midnight Chorus Society is in full swing. Unbeknownst to the rest of the innocent passengers, the deadly convention is made up entirely of serial killers, wannabes and their fans.
Travelling on board is Hollywood royalty Jacqui Dulac, star of the television show Lady Detective, and her latest ghost-writer, Martha Hammond. Yet when Martha witnesses a shocking murder on deck, with a single red button found near the crime scene, the quarrelling duo must put aside their differences to become real-life detectives…
But with a cruise liner full of the world’s most notorious serial killers, they both know that when there’s been one murder, another is sure to follow. And as a storm rocks the ship, can Martha and Jacqui identify the killer before it’s too late?
I was very fortunate to be able to purchase a copy of All Killers Aboard at this year's Capital Crime, ahead of its publication date. It is officially out today though and I'm thrilled to be sharing my review and to wish David Fennell a very happy publication day!
I have been a huge admirer of David Fennell's books since his Sleeper series and consider his Grace Archer books as among the best in dark emotive crime fiction. His novels have always contained some humour, but All Killers Aboard marks a real departure for the author. The risk pays off, however, and this deliciously buoyant mystery is definitely not going to sink.
After a prologue that describes a serial killer's origin story and which delights in its black humour, the main protagonist of All Killers Aboard, Martha Hammond is introduced. Much of the story is told through her first-person narrative and she proves to be an engaging, if rather sparky character to spend the journey with. Martha is an author still waiting for her break and there's a wonderful scene at the start where she looks at photos of more successful writers signed to her agent and inwardly excoriates her one-time friend, Poppy Posey, now a popular romantasy author. By contrast, Martha's latest novel has just received a slew of rejections and her agent, Oliver has a couple of proposals for her. The first – to rewrite her book with added swords and dragons – is immediately rejected but she is tempted by the pay packet promised by the second offer and with time against her, agrees to accompany Hollywood actress and former star of the television show, The Lady Detective, on the Jewel of the Atlantic's final voyage from Southampton to New York. Jacqui wants to write a crime novel but as Oliver explains, she can't actually write for toffee and so Martha accepts a position as her ghostwriter. Unfortunately, Jacqui is expecting an assistant and sparks fly between them at first.
David Fennell always excels at writing flawed yet sympathetic characters and he is in his element here. The relationship that gradually develops between Martha and Jacqui is genuinely touching in spite of their sniping and as their vulnerabilities are revealed alongside their respective past losses, it becomes impossible not to care about them both. Jacqui’s star may have waned a little since her leading lady days but she is still adored by her fans and so naturally monstrously demanding at times. There is another, more generous side to her though as David Fennell reminds us that even the biggest stars aren’t immune to tragedy. Of course, they aren't the only passengers on board the cruise ship and while it might be reasonable to expect one or two quirkier guests, neither Martha nor Jacqui could guess that several of their fellow passengers are members of the Midnight Chorus Society; a convention of serial killers and their fans.
With renowned murderers such as The Undertaker, The Reverend and The Undertaker on board, the scene could have been set for a bloodbath. Rather ironically, however, being among these killers during one of their conventions is usually the safest place to be. For twenty five years, the rule, 'no murders during conference' has been sacred. All that changes though when Martha witnesses a murder and then becomes aware that the death is being covered up. As a crime writer she is naturally intrigued but she has a more personal reason to want to hunt down the killer too.
These are people who have avoided capture for years but now they have become the target and the ensuing mayhem and paranoia as they attempt to continue with their convention, while trying to figure out who among them is the traitor is darkly hilarious yet still gripping stuff. As the body count rises and it becomes chillingly clear that Martha may be out of her depth, All Killers Aboard crackles with danger and the climax is thrillingly tense.
Throw in an amateur dramatic production, the fabulously caustic altercations between Jacqui and ship owner, Cilla, a few gruesome conference highlights and a particularly brilliant, farcical scene as the ageing killers attempt to dispose of a body, and the resulting chaos makes for a frantically funny read throughout. It is also written with all the empathy and heart I have come to expect from David Fennell and the poignant scenes are a moving juxtaposition to the black humour and knife-edge suspense. The cleverly constructed plot and brilliant characterisation is complemented throughout by the rich, believable sense of place. This locked room mystery excels because, in spite of its outrageous premise, David Fennell's attention to the little details that bring his story to life, allows us to accept every madcap development that takes place here. Superbly funny yet laced with some fiendishly affecting gut punches of emotion and packed with dramatic twists, All Killers Aboard is an exhilarating voyage from start to finish and one I very highly recommend.
All Killers Aboard is published by Orion and is out now; purchasing links can be found here or buy from your favourite independent bookshop.
About the Author
In 2017 his first thriller, SLEEPER was published by the Dome Press under the partial pseudonym, JD Fennell. The follow up, SLEEPER: THE RED STORM, was published in 2018, and was shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize. In 2023, a revised edition of both books were published by Canelo as a one volume beautiful hardback collector's edition.
David is the also tthe author of the popular GRACE ARCHER series. The third book in the series, THE SILENT MAN, was shortlisted for Thriller Book of the Year at the Capital Crime Fingerprint Awards and longlisted for the 2024 Glass Bell Award. His sixth novel, A VIOLENT HEART, won the 2025 Capital Crime Thriller of the Year award.
He is married and he and his partner split their time between Central London and Brighton.
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